In Singapore, Maya Weug reconnected with her Spanish roots to treat herself to a remontada unexpected on Dorian Pin in the final moments of race 2. The sixth round of F1 Academy didn’t get off to a bad start for the championship leader, who recorded the fastest time in Free Practice ahead of her title rival, Maya Weug. In qualifying, the Dutchwoman, supported by Ferrari However, she took pole position, with Doriane Pin missing out by just 42 thousandths of a second in the final moments of the session. A tiny difference that will nevertheless weigh heavily in the championship.

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Doriane Pin takes the lead at the first turn

On the reverse grid for the first race of the weekend, Doriane Pin, seventh, started ahead of Maya Weug, eighth. More agile at the start, the Ferrari junior moved up the field to take second place on the podium, while the Parisian driver had to settle for fifth place after a race that was neutralized twice. Similar to what had already happened in Saudi Arabia earlier in the season, Maya Weug gained the upper hand over her rival in a crucial exercise to secure points.

The next day, the two drivers started from the front row for the second race of the weekend at Marina Bay. Doriane Pin, who had the better start, nevertheless took first place from Maya Weug at the first corner. The Frenchwoman then pulled away, widening the gap on the No. 64 driver, who struggled to keep up with her pace. Our goal was to overtake in Turn 1, and that’s what we did, congratulated the protégé of Mercedes. We obviously had a comfortable lead until the safety car came out.”

Unable to explain this failed start, the polewoman admitted that she was not “Satisfied with the first 10 laps of the race. I don’t know what happened at the start, because I didn’t feel like I had a bad start, but Doriane [Pin] did better, which was very annoying, admitted Maya Weug. I tried to put pressure on him, but they simply had more speed than us today on the dry track. That’s something we’ll look at, as it’s important to get the starts right. »

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Dramatic turn of events on the last lap

Just as the race seemed to be won by Doriane Pin, rain fell on the Asian island. While many teams called their drivers back to the pits, the two leaders remained on the slippery track, shod with slick tires. A winning bet for Maya Weug. It all depended on how heavy the rain was, but in the end there weren’t many laps left, so it wouldn’t have made sense to pit, lose all that time and try to make up for it. I think we made the right decision.” confirms the MP Motorsport driver.

« Even when it rained in the middle of the race, we were very competitive in sector 2, explained Doriane Pin. It was also very exciting because in the rain, when you have slick tires, it’s very pleasant because you go flat out, you manage the conditions and you have to adapt to each lap because it rains more or less heavily. »

In this case, the turnaround came from Nicole Havrda, who crashed for the second time in the round, triggering the only safety car of this second race. At the restart, Maya Weug then regained the lead over the Parisian. The safety car came out and the last lap was not good at all, lamented the Tricolor. It was quite disappointing. It was pouring with rain, so with slick tires on a street circuit where water pools on the surface, with the white line running across the track… it was very slippery for everyone. We missed out on the win today. »

Thanks to better management of her tires, the Ferrari protégé perfectly controlled the restart and the final lap of the race. The last lap was absolutely crazy. I knew the rain was one of my few chances to overtake Doriane [Pin] today, so when it started to rain, I was pretty happy. I just made sure I studied the grip in every corner behind the safety car, especially in Turn 5, explained Maya Weug. I managed to get the tires up to temperature – they were obviously cold, but I think they were in a good range compared to the others. That’s what allowed me to win today. I felt comfortable in the car.”

Last throw of the dice in Las Vegas

If it weren’t for the city-state’s unpredictable weather, the Prema driver could certainly have been crowned champion, capitalizing on the lead she had built up earlier. It’s only a matter of time, but Maya Weug is looking increasingly threatening, reducing her deficit to Doriane Pin to just nine points before the final round.

Neither of them is a fighter, and neither admits defeat. Doriane Pin is showing her confidence as she approaches the final stage. We’re at the top of the rankings, which means we’re the best, right? We will continue like this until the end ” she says. Maya Weug, for her part, remains determined. ” We must aim for victory. We still have nine points left, so little by little we will get there. ” she defends.

The seventh F1 Academy final, which will take place in Las Vegas, will be the decisive stage of this intense duel. For both drivers, it will be the last chance to clinch the title before retiring from the category, which is limited to two seasons by regulations. Hungry for victory, they will set off ready to do anything for the crown. Join us from November 20th to 22nd at the Sin City circuit to discover the title winner.